Hank Sullivant

Hank Sullivant (born 3 February 1983) is an American rock musician and producer who is known for his early work with Athens-based pop rock band The Whigs, his stint as touring guitarist for MGMT, and currently as leader of the rock band Kuroma.

Since 2009 Sullivant has produced albums for bands including Gift Horse, Wages, and Colour Revolt.

Sullivant was raised in Memphis and attended high school at Memphis University School. He is listed as ‘notable alumni’ of MUS alongside Big Star's Chris Bell and FedEx CEO Fred Smith. Sullivant played in a band called Accidental Mersh with Andrew VanWyngarden, Nick Robbins, and Charlie Gerber. The band wrote funky pop songs that were inspired by elder Memphis rock band Big Ass Truck. The group packed Memphis clubs like the New Daisy Theater on Beale Street. The group dispersed to different colleges in 2001.

During his first year at The University of Georgia, Sullivant met Atlantans Parker Gispert and Julian Dorio with whom he formed The Whigs. Sullivant, a guitarist, picked up bass to round out the band. Sullivant and Gispert co-wrote the songs with additional creative input from Dorio. During their time at UGA, the band rose to popularity in Athens and Atlanta.

After delays and a “demoralizing development deal with RCA,” The Whigs self-recorded their debut album Give ‘Em All a Big Fat Lip in an abandoned fraternity house with engineer Billy Bennett in the summer of 2005. In addition to bass, Sullivant played organ, piano, slide guitar, and acoustic guitar on the album. “Half The World Away” features a guitar solo by Sullivant. This solo was a noted climactic point in the Whigs’ live set.

Energized by the production of G’EAaBFL, Sullivant experienced a period of creativity before the album’s release that resulted in most of the songs found on Kuroma’s 2007 debut, Paris. The Whigs self-released their album in November of 2005. Rolling Stone Magazine named them one of the ‘Ten Bands To Watch In 2006.’ The Whigs signed to ATO Records in July 2006 & toured through November. Sullivant then left the band to work solely on his own music.

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